Automobile-signal



'J. E. NICHOLS.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED AUG-18, 1919.

1,360,141. v Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

i l/mam:- 15

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ELMER NIQHOISQOF nnmon'ro vjnminnra. G mer. y

AuroMoBILE-sieimn ToaZZ whom it may concern: .1 1

Be it known that 1,4] OHN Emma Nioirons, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain, and resident of the city of Edmonton, inthe l rovince of Alberta, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in A'utomobile-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automobile signals. y a

. The present practice when driving an automobile is for the chauffeur or driver to extend his arm at the side of the automobile indicating to thetraiiic officer in which direction he intends to travehlwhether taking a turn to the right or left. But in the event of the automobile going straight forward he indicates the direction oftravel by extending his arm straight in front of him. This procedure necessarily causes thechauifeur or driver of the automobile to release his grip on the hand wheel or other controls so some other system of signaling was neces sary so that when an automobile was approaching a crossing or street corner it was necessary to materially reduce the speed so that a proper indication might be given to the traiiic officer of the intended course the automobile was about to travel in.

Again by the present invention this improved method of signaling can be readily mounted on automobiles at present in use no matter what the make of the automobile is and the several parts of the device are readily accessible for inspection and repair and are capable of quick adjustment to suit the circumstances under which they are being operated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists essentially of tl1e improved constructlon hereinafter described and set forth in detail in the following Specificationof Letters Patent. ilaitll ted NOV, Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,392.

specification and accompanying drawings formingpart of the same.

Inthedrawings: a i y i Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of. the wind shield of an automobile showing the improved indicator mounted thereon. i

Fig- 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the improved indicator. j i a Fig. 3 is plan view of theindicator the hand being removed. H v u Fig.4 is a side eleva ion ofthe pin broken away which} is utilized for holding the indicating hand in position. j a a I Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the looking plate or washer designed to maintain the indicating hand in adjusted position.

Like characters of refermce refer to like parts in theseveral figures.

Referring tothc drawings, A represents an automobile wind shield of any usual de scription and B the improved indicator ad justablymounted thereon. This indicator comprises a rod which isformed'square for the grea'ti-n' part of its length and is provided with a pair of orifices 11 extend ing vertically therethrough,oneend of the rod being reduced and formed withan offset threaded end 12 designed to makethreaded engagement with one member of the clamp 13 by meansof which the indicator is secured tothe frame of the wind shield A. The clamp 13 comprises two members, one of, which is of angle-shape and makes threaded engagement with the threaded end 12of the rod 10 and this member is held in the desired adjusted position by means of a lock nut 14.

On the end members of the clamp 13 rcmote from the rod 10 a pair of U-shaped members 15 are rigidly secured which em brace the frame of the wind shield A and the two members of the clamp are secured in position by means of a bolt-16 provided with a suitable thumb nut, thereby facilitating positioning removing the indicator on the wind shield. v

Slid'ably mounted on the squared portion of the rod 10 are a pair of brackets 16 provided with upwardly extending arms 17 formed of resilient metal and designed to form bearings for the rod 18 which is provided on the front end with a worm 19 adapted to mesh with a worm wheel 20 mounted on the squared lower end of the 21 2 r o r r 1,360,141

. depressions a cotter 26, which passes through the bolt 21, is designed to engage. This cotter is adjustab'lymounted in a cotter hole 27 and the upper edge of the cotter is engaged by a spiral spring 28 whlCh embraces the upper end-oi the bolt 2l and is located between the head of: the bolt and the said oottersln the transparent hand an electric light 29' is suitably mounted and connected with a source (it-{electrical supply, and the rod 18'is provided with a hand wheel '30, the obgect'ot which will be made clear hereafter.

' "il hen this ,device is in use it is mounted on the wind -=sh 1eld or other part or" the frame of the automobile which is most suit-.

able for. the reception of such a device and the clam-p13 is tightened so that the rod 10 will be held rigidly in position against lateral'or vertical motion. 1 I

The bearings '16 are now adjusted in position and the bolt 21 engaged with one of the orifices 11,- 'inwh'ieh position the worm wheel2O meshes with the worm 19 and the rod 18, which extends rearwardly to a point adjacent to the drivers Seat. will be of such a length that the'hand wheel 80 is convenient to the driver of the automobile.

When the automobile is approaching a corner the hand wheel 13 is rotated so that inotionis transmitted to the bolt 21 and the hand 23 will then point in the direction in whichthe automobile intends to travel. The

' hand isheld in this adjusted position by means or the cotter 26 engaging with the depressions 25 in the washer 2i and any yarring of the automobile Wlll not'dlsplace the "hand. Itwill be seen that when actually taking the corner the driver willhave both hands free to manipulate lHS'COHtIOIS and his steering wheel and after taking the corner he then releases the hand wheel 30 to bring the indicating hand 22-3 back into a position to indicate the course of travel.

Nhen' this device is in use at night time the lamp 29 will be lit so that the indicating hand 23 is illuminated and always discernible to a traftic oilicer or to pedestrians or other trafiic 0n the road.

.From this description it will be seen that I have invented an automobile indicator which can be advantageously utilized on automo'bi-les at present in use and which can be adjusted in position with a minimum of time and labor and whereby the trai'lic ol ficer, pedestrians and other trallic will be quickly notified of the desired road of travel of the automobile.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely diiferent embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claim. constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all malter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

"hat I claim as my invention An indicator of the class described. comprising a clamping member, a rod extending from'the clamping member squared in cross section for the major part of its length and provided with orifices therethrough. a bolt engaging with one of the orilices, a gear on the bolt, a transparent indicating member on the bolt. a washer having depressions on the upper edge. a cotter engaging the bolt and coacting with the depressions. resilient means for holding the cotter in engagement with the depressions. a rod. a worm on the rod coacting with the gear, and means for actuating the rod.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ELMER NICI KOLS. lVitnesses:

J. F. LYNBURN, R. M. CrIrrALn. 

